Chafe protected rope and protective cover therefore

ABSTRACT

A protective cover for rope and an assembly of the protective cover installed on a rope. The protective cover has a fabric sleeve with a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end. One or more tethers are attached to and extend from proximate at least one of the sleeve ends. The one or more tethers provide resistance to motion of the sleeve relative to an underlying rope because the one or more tethers are interlaced with the strands of the rope. The one or more tethers are interlaced along a sufficient length of rope, with a sufficient number of tucks that the strands of the rope, under tension, will clamp upon the one or more tethers. The friction between the one or more tethers and the strands prevent movement of the cover or the tethers relative to the rope.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure is directed to the field of chafe and cut protection of component materials such as rope. Particularly, this disclosure is concerned with protecting rope used under harsh conditions and heavy load. Example uses include winching, hoisting and lifting in industries such as mining, on and off-shore oil and gas applications, marine, construction, and other rigging applications subjecting the component materials to possible abrasion.

BACKGROUND

Over the years, industry has required hauling, lifting, towing, and pulling of larger, heavier, more complex machinery, parts, vehicles and equipment. These tasks may occur in mining, logging, shipping, transportation, construction, and others. Each of these tasks often requires use of materials capable of withstanding tens if not hundreds of tons. Rope capable of such high strength requires increased amounts of material to produce higher diameter rope. These high strength ropes also include more and more advanced high strength materials. This combination can result in the cost of rope becoming a very significant line item in the cost of a job. Because of the increasing costs of rope, maintaining the rope in working condition of as long as possible is desired.

As the loads increase in weight and complexity, so do the safety concerns for those workers tasked with moving the load. Even though ropes are labeled with a safe working load limit that incorporates a safety factor of 5×, the rated capacity may still be exceeded by those in the field. If a loaded rope gives way, serious injury can occur when the load is released, or as a result of recoil in the rope. Therefore maintaining the condition of the rope is also important to maintain safety.

Many commercial and industrial applications can cause abrasion of exposed rope as the rope is dragged along a rough surface. Abrasion can also occur as rope is rubbed back and forth over a surface, such as boat hardware while the boat shifts with the tide, waves, and changing ballast. Abrasion can also occur as a rope is forced around a sharp corner of a load or other surface.

One example application is shown in FIG. 1. An oilfield truck 1 is equipped with a winch 3, and a winching line 5. The winching line 5 has an eye 6 at one end for attachment to the load. The winch 3 would wind up the line 5, pulling the load and the eye 6 closer to the winch 3. In order to protect against abrasion, the line 5 is shown with conventional chafe gear 8 that surrounds portions of the line 5. The chafe gear 8 is, in reality, one or more separate fabric tubes that wrap around the line 5 and often are secured in a closed configuration using hook and loop fasteners along the full length of the chafe gear 8. An example of such chafe gear 8 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,502,069 assigned to Advanced Composite Structures, LLC. The chafe gear 8 is designed to be easily and completely removed from the line 5 by opening the hook and loop fasteners. The chafe gear 8 is also designed to be repositionable relative to the line 5 by sliding the chafe gear 8 along the line 5, positioning the gear 8 next to a point of contact between the rope and the load or surface.

SUMMARY

The inventor has discovered problems with using the chafe gear of the prior art in the field. During many uses, the fact that the prior art chafe gear can slide along the rope can be a disadvantage. In the winching example above, the winch will continue to pull the line over the bed of the truck. If portions of the loaded rope are rubbing along the rear corner of the truck bed or other corners or edges, the conventional protective chafe gear has a tendency to collapse toward the eye or hook end of the line, creating bunching. If this occurs, an exposed location of the rope may be subject to abrasion against the corner of the bed. In other situations, the edge of the bed or the winch may snag on the end of the chafe gear. The result is often the bunching and shorting of the conventional chafe gear as the end of the chafe gear is forced toward the eye, increasing the diameter of the material being wound onto the winch. The bunched up portion of the conventional chafe gear can lead to exceeding the capacity of the winch and the inability to pull a load closer to the winch.

The inventor has developed an improved protective cover for use with ropes, cables, chains, etc. The protective cover improves upon the drawbacks of the prior art by providing features that allow the cover to be immovably attached to the rope, providing significant resistance to motion relative to the rope when compared to the prior art. Particularly, the protective cover of the present invention is characterized by a sleeve of abrasion resistant fabric that is provided with one or more tethers attached to the sleeve near at least one end of the sleeve. The tether provides resistance to movement of the sleeve relative to the protected rope, by being interlaced with the strands of the rope. The one or more tethers are interlaced along a sufficient length of the rope with a sufficient number of stitches such that tensioned strands of the rope will clamp upon the tether(s) and the friction between the tether(s) and the strands will substantially prevent movement of the cover, or the tether(s), relative to the rope.

This disclosure describes several related embodiments of protective covers that rely upon the interlaced tether concept. This disclosure also describes assemblies where the protective covers are specifically combined with respective ropes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a typical oilfield winching application using a rope protected by conventional chafe gear.

FIG. 2 shows a protective cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of one end of the cover of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a protective cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a close-up view of a protective cover according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of the protective cover of FIG. 5 partially assembled with a rope.

FIG. 7 shows the protective cover of FIG. 5 fully assembled with a rope.

FIG. 8 shows a pair of back-to-back protective covers of FIG. 5 partially assembled with another rope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. The embodiments described provide examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments, and modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such other embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention. Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination.

The present disclosure is directed to protective covers for rope with one or more tethers capable of being interlaced with the rope to substantially prevent motion of the cover. The present disclosure is also directed to assemblies: including the combination of a rope and the protective cover. Throughout this description, the cover may be described with respect to a rope for clarity. These descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure or respective embodiments to assemblies alone.

The term “rope” is used throughout this specification to describe any applicable material to be protected. The term “rope” should be understood to include each of several synonyms, where applicable, including but not limited to: line, wire, chain, cord, cable, and cordage. The term ‘rope” as used herein preferably describes a composition of a plurality of intertwined, twisted or braided strands. The strands may be synthetic, natural fibers, or metal. A chain with interconnected links is also within this definition of rope.

Rope of any size and material should be considered within the scope of this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure include synthetic rope such as rope made from high performance fibers or filaments, including but not limited to high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE), high molecular weight aramids or high molecular weight nylon, and the like.

Again, the protective covers of this disclosure include tethers to be interlaced with the protected rope. As used herein, the term “interlaced” means the tying of the tether into and between the braids or links of the rope, and also includes, at least, intertwined, interwoven, braided, knit, knotted and stitched.

The protective covers described herein are primarily concerned with protecting relatively expensive synthetic rope from chafing, abrasion or cutting damage. Therefore the protective covers may be at least partially formed from fabrics and preferably abrasion resistant fabrics. As used herein, “abrasion resistant fabrics” are woven, non-woven, or knit fabrics made from high strength yarns that have tensile moduli equal to or greater than 150 grams/denier and a tenacity equal to or greater than 20 grams/denier. Examples of high strength yarns include long chain polyethylene (such as SPECTRA® or DYNEEMA®, also called high molecular weight polyethylene), aramids such as KEVLAR®, and ballistic nylon such as products sold by CORDURA®. Many of these abrasion resistant fabrics are also known to themselves provide, or be treated to provide, other protective benefits such as protection from oil, grease, water, harsh chemicals, etc.

The goal of the tethered protective covers is to substantially fix the cover in place and prevent undesirable movement of the cover or the tether relative to a tensioned rope. Further, absolute prevention of motion is not necessary. De minimis shifting may be present due to slack where the tether attaches to the cover, or slack intentionally built into the cover to compensate for known elongation of the rope when the rope is placed under tension.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 2 shows a first aspect of protective cover 100 for use in covering and protecting a rope from chafe, abrasion and/or cutting. The cover 100 has a body formed as a tubular sleeve 102 configured to encircle at least a portion of a rope when in use. The tubular sleeve 102 extends between a first sleeve end 104 and a second sleeve end 106. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the first sleeve end 104 of the first cover 100. One or more portions along the length (including the full length) of the sleeve 102 may be able to open or separate with the use of fasteners, such as the preferred hook and loop fasteners 108. While hook and loop fasteners 108 are preferred, other types such as heavy duty zippers or snaps may also be possible.

Several types of hook and loop type fasteners 108 are known, which provide varying degrees of holding force. The specific variety of hook and loop fastener 108 used with the sleeve 102 will depend upon the intended use of the protective cover 100. For example a traditional hook and loop fastener 108 may be preferred when the first covers 100 will be used at or below the safe working load limit or when the first covers 100 will be opened and closed regularly for replacement or rope inspection. Heavy duty or limited action type hook and loop fasteners 108 may be preferred when the rope will be used over a large range of working loads. This heavy duty type may also be preferred when removal or opening of the first covers 100 is unlikely or infrequent.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, a body portion of the sleeve 102 adjacent each sleeve end 104, 106 is provided with a hook and loop fastener 108. This arrangement provides a selectively closable head opening 116 at the first sleeve end 104 and a selectively closable tail opening 118 (see FIG. 8) at the second sleeve end 106. The region of the sleeve 102 between the head opening 116 and the tail opening 118 is permanently held as a tube, either integrally, such as by circular knitting, or with a sewn or glued seam.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2, the sleeve 102 is tapered adjacent to the first sleeve end 104. In other words, the diameter of the sleeve 102 decreases in a direction extending from the first sleeve end 104 toward the second sleeve end 106. The tapered diameter is useful when the first cover 100 surrounds all or part of a splice formed in the rope. In other embodiments the sleeve 102 may not cover a splice, in which case the diameter of the sleeve 102 may be substantially constant. In yet another embodiment, the sleeve 102 may be configured for use on a rope having a splice at each end, in which case each sleeve end 104, 106 may be tapered in opposite directions.

The sleeve 102 is preferably tapered along a distance corresponding to the splice or tuck length of the underlying rope. The splice length will depend on the type of splice or tuck being employed. In the rope manufacturing industry it is well understood that a full fid is a length equal to twenty-one times the outside diameter of the component rope. The taper distance of the sleeve 102 is also preferably proportional and substantially similar to the length of the respective head or tail opening 116, 118. The particular diameter for each portion of a tapered sleeve 102 should also correspond to the outside diameter of the component rope at each respective location. The diameter of the rope at various points along the splice will again depend on the style of splice (long bury, tuck bury or any modification or combination thereof) being employed.

As mentioned above, the goal of the protective cover 100, and the sleeve 102 particularly, is to protect a rope from chafing and cutting. Therefore, the materials used to form the sleeve 102 should be selected for their ability to resist wear caused by abrasion. The materials used to form the sleeve 102 should also meet other property specifications based on the intended use of the underlying rope. In the winch example discussed above, the sleeve should be sufficiently flexible to accompany the rope around the winch. Therefore while durable rubber and metal tubes may prove sufficient in some instances, the sleeve 102 is preferably a fabric constructed from high performance fibers or filaments.

The first protective cover 100 provides an improvement over the prior art because the disclosed first cover 100 has an increased ability to maintain its position relative to an underlying rope. The protective cover 100 is able to maintain its position relative to the underlying rope with the help of one or more tethers 110, 112. The illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 shows a total of four tethers 110, 112. The cover 100 is shown with one eye-tether 110 attached to the sleeve 102, preferably along the interior surface thereof, near the first sleeve end 104. The eye-tether 110 is so named for its potential use passing through the eye a rope in some embodiments (see FIG. 6). The cover 100 is also shown with three tail-tethers 112 attached to the sleeve 102, preferably along the interior surface, near the second sleeve end 106. The tail-tethers 112 are so named for their potential use along the tail of a rope passing out of the second sleeve end 104 in some embodiments (see FIG. 7). Tethers 110, 112, 210 are referred to as eye-tethers 110, tail-tethers 112, and later even head-tethers 210 (see FIG. 4). The separate terms are used for purposes of clarity of description relative to each embodiment of each cover 100, but the separate terms should not limit the scope of the disclosure as all tethers 110, 112, 210 described herein should be generally considered interchangeable. In other words the prefix eye-, tail-, and head- are only used to identify the portion of a rope to which a particular tether may be associated in a non-limiting embodiment. The general term “tether” can also be modified by other prefixes such as “sleeve-” or “loop-” to identify a portion of each cover to which a particular tether may be associated in a non-limiting embodiment.

The number of tethers 110, 112 is not limited to the quantities shown in FIG. 2 so long as the cover 100 is substantially able to remain in place along a rope under anticipated applications. Therefore, while one eye-tether 110 is preferred for reasons discussed below, covers 100 without eye-tethers 110, as well as covers 100 with more than one eye-tether 110, remain within the scope of this disclosure. Further, the number of tail-tethers 112 is not particularly limited. Having at least one tail-tether 112 is preferred, especially opposite at least one eye-tether 110, to resist motion at both sleeve ends 104, 106. However, embodiments without tail-tethers 112 are also envisioned. Further, embodiments with more than three tail-tethers 112 are also considered. It is unlikely that the number of tail-tethers 112 will exceed the number of strands in the underlying rope, most often twelve strands.

It is noted that the term “near,” and similar term “proximate,” should be understood in view of the overall length of the cover 100 or sleeve 102. For example, because the sleeve 102 may be tens if not hundreds or thousands of feet long, an attachment “near” an end can still be several inches or more from the respective distal end of the sleeve 102. In one embodiment, the eye-tether 110 is sewed or otherwise attached at a connection point 114 a distance of about 0.5 fid from the extreme of the first sleeve end 104. The connection point 114 preferably provides a sewn connection between the sleeve 102 and the tethers 110, 112. The sewn connection may be stitched with threads of high strength fibers. While stitching is shown, other types of attachment, such as adhesive or grommets, at the connection points 114 are also possible.

Each tether 110, 112 is designed to restrain the sleeve 102 relative to the underlying rope by being interlaced into the strands of the rope. Each tether 110, 112 is interlaced along the longitudinal axis or around the circumference of the rope. Friction between each tether 110, 112 and the strands of the rope will hold the tethers 110, 112 in place. While the tethers 110, 112 may be readily laced into a slack rope, particularly a synthetic braided rope, strands of a tensioned rope will have a tendency to clamp down on the portions of each tether 110, 112 positioned between the strands, providing a secure hold.

A number of factors are considered for providing a cover 100 with tethers 110, 112 that collectively provide sufficient retention performance. Factors include:

-   -   A) The total number of tethers 110, 112: an increase in the         quantity of tethers will provide a stronger grip.     -   B) The length of each tether 110, 112: a longer tether will         provide a stronger hold than a short one; preferably each tether         is at least one fid in length.     -   C) The width of each tether 110, 112: wider tethers are         themselves stronger, and also provide more surface area for a         friction hold; preferably each tether is at least 0.01 fid wide.     -   D) The tether material: materials with a higher coefficient of         friction will provide a stronger hold.     -   E) The rope material: materials with a higher coefficient of         friction will provide a stronger hold.     -   F) The size and/or strength rating of the rope: more and/or         longer tethers are preferred for larger diameter ropes.     -   G) The interlace pattern: the pattern of interlacing the tethers         may affect the percentage of each tether able to provide a         gripping force, a preferred pattern is: over two strands and         under one strand.

In one non-limiting example, a suitable cover was constructed similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2. The sample cover had four total tethers 110, 112, each being three fid in length. Each tether 110, 112 has a width of between about 0.01 and 0.075 fid selected based upon the tenacity of the tether's material. Both the tethers 110, 112 and the rope were made from HMPE. The tethers 110, 112 were interlaced with a ratio of over one strand along the outside of the rope for every two strands the tethers 110, 112 were tucked under.

Turning to FIG. 4, a second protective cover 200 according to another embodiment is shown. The protective cover 200 includes a tubular body sleeve shown forming a partial loop 202. The partial loop 202 has a first loop end 204 and a second loop end 206. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, a hook and loop fastener 208 extends the length of the partial loop 202 in order to allow opening of the tube shape for insertion and removal of at least a portion of a rope. In other embodiments only portions of the loop 202 include fasteners 208. In other embodiments, the loop 202 is free from fasteners 208 along the length of the loop 202. As shown in FIG. 4, a central region of the partial loop 202 may have a sewn radius 220 that maintains the curvature of the partial loop 202. The sewn radius is therefore configured for contact with a curved contact surface. A partial loop 202 with a sewn radius 220 may be used for protecting an eye portion formed at the end of the rope being covered. In some embodiments the sewn radius 220 may correspond to a portion of the loop 202 with increased material thickness, such as two or more layers of abrasion resistant fabric.

The second cover 200 also includes one or more head-tethers 210 extending from each loop end 204, 206. As should be understood, the make-up of protective cover 200 is similar to the protective cover 100 of the first embodiment. Therefore considerations and features with respect to materials, lengths, attachment, and cover retention discussed above with respect to the sleeve 102 and the tethers 110, 112 also apply to the loop 202 and the head-tethers 210.

Turning to FIG. 5, a third cover 300 is illustrated in a partially open position. As should be understood, the third cover 300 is the result of combining the first cover 100 with the second cover 200. FIG. 5 shows a detailed view at the first sleeve end 104 of the sleeve 102. Depending on the length and configuration of the rope, another second protective cover 200 may or may not be combined with the second sleeve end 106 (not seen in FIG. 5).

FIG. 5 shows the cover 300 in a partial open state with the hook and loop fasteners 108, 208 of the sleeve 102 and the loop 202 detached to show the tethers 110, 112, 210 therein. It should be understood that when the cover 300 is in-use, each hook and loop fastener 108, 208 will be fastened around a rope.

As seen in FIG. 5, each loop end 204, 206 is attached near the first sleeve end 104 at respective joints 302. The joints 302 may replace, supplement or be separate from the connection points 214 between the head tethers 210 and the loop 202. Each loop end 204, 206 is attached to the inner surface of the sleeve 102 so that upon closing of the head opening 116, the sleeve 102 surrounds the loops ends 204, 206, thereby providing an amount of overlap between the first sleeve end 104 and the loop ends 204, 206. The amount of overlap is not particularly limited. However, it is preferred that any eye-tethers 110 are attached at a connection point 114 inward of the loop ends 204, 206 along the longitudinal direction of the sleeve 102.

FIG. 5 shows cover 300 based on a combination of the preferred embodiments of the first cover 100 and the second cover 200. In other words, cover 300 is shown with one eye-tether 110 at first sleeve end 104, three tail-tethers 112 at second sleeve end 106, and a pair of head-tethers 210, one at each loop end 204, 206. However, it should be understood that cover 300 is not limited to this tether arrangement. This disclosure contemplates covers 300 that omit eye-tethers 110, tail-tethers 112, and/or head-tethers 210 so long as the cover 300 includes at least one tether 110, 112, 210. For example, where neither eye-tethers 110 nor head-tethers 210 are provided, it would be expected that at least one tail-tether 112 would be included.

Where at least one eye-tether 110 or at least one head-tether 210 is provided, the head opening 116 selectively provided by hook and loop fastener 108 in sleeve 102 should be of a length proportional to the length of the eye-tether 110 or the head-tether 210. Therefore the head opening 116 would be of sufficient size to allow interlacing of the full length of the respective tether 110, 210 along a rope housed within the sleeve 102.

Turning to FIG. 6, the protective cover 300 of FIG. 5 is illustrated with a rope 400. FIG. 6 shows an example of how the protective cover 300 is joined to the rope 400 along the longitudinal axis of the rope 400. The illustrated rope 400 includes an eye portion 402 at the terminal end thereof. Creation of the eye portion 402 results in a splice portion 404 where the end portion of the rope 400 meets the body of the component rope 400. At the terminal end of the splice 404, the remainder of the illustrated rope 400 has a tail portion 406 (see FIG. 7) of generally constant diameter. As noted above, in other embodiments, the terminal end of the tail portion 406 may extend to the other end of a length of rope and lead to another splice and a second eye opposite the first eye 402.

To form an example protected rope assembly 500 (e.g. a winching line) (best seen in FIG. 7); the rope 400 is first laid into an open protective cover 300 (FIG. 6). In some embodiments, where the sleeve 102 is not completely openable, the rope 400 may need to be pulled through the sleeve 102 prior to forming the eye portion 402 or the splice portion 404. In the illustrated embodiment, laying the rope 400 into the cover 300 includes providing the eye portion 402 along the partial loop 202 and the splice portion 404 and the tail portion 406 along the sleeve 102.

The cover 300 is then tethered to the rope 400. In the illustrated embodiment each head-tether 210 is pulled from the respective loop ends 204, 206 and interlaced with the rope 400 down the sides of the splice portion 404 toward the tail portion 406. The head-tether 210 may be interlaced linearly down the side of the splice portion 404, may be interlaced in a helical shape wrapping around the circumference of the rope 400, or a combination of both. Interlacing the head tethers 210 with the eye portion 402 of the rope 400 in a direction toward the center of the partial loop 202 is also possible.

The cover 300 should also be attached to any eye-tethers 110. From the view of FIG. 6, connection point 114 is not seen because it lies behind the rope 400. In the preferred embodiment, the eye-tether 110 is pulled toward the adjacent sleeve end (in this case first sleeve end 104) with or without being interlaced to the backside of the rope 400, then pulled through the eye portion 402 of the rope 400 and lastly interlaced with the front of the splice portion 404 back in a direction toward the tail portion 406. Again interlacing can be generally linear along the rope 400 or interlacing around the rope 400 (not shown). In less preferred embodiments, the eye-tether(s) 110 may be interlaced along one or both legs of the eye 402. In other less preferred embodiments, the eye-tether(s) 110 may be interlaced straight down the splice portion 404 without being run through the eye 402.

As best seen in FIG. 7, any tail-tethers 112 present should also be interlaced with the rope 400 along the tail portion 406. In the illustrated embodiment, the tail-tethers 112 extend from the second sleeve end 106 and are interlaced with the rope 400 in a direction away from the sleeve 102. In other embodiments, especially when a tail opening 118 is provided, the tail-tethers 112 may be interlaced with the rope 400 in a direction inward toward the first sleeve end 104. As with the other tethers 110, 210, the tail-tethers 112 can be interlaced linearly along the tail portion 406, helically around the tail portion 406, or a combination of both.

After tethering the cover 300 to the rope 400, each fastener 108, 208 is closed to provide a complete assembly 500 as seen in FIG. 7. Preferably, the loop fastener 208 is closed first and the sleeve fasteners 108 are closed second to provide the overlap of the first sleeve end 104 outside and surrounding the pair of loop ends (not seen in FIG. 7).

As mentioned above, the cover 300 may be provided with a loop cover 200 attached to each end of the sleeve cover 100 to protect a rope having dual eye portions. FIG. 8 shows any alternative configuration for protecting a rope 400 with dual eye portions. The embodiment of FIG. 8 shows a pair of combination protective covers 300 positioned back-to-back (second sleeve end 106 to second sleeve end 106). In some first instances, the component rope 400 may be exposed in between the pair of covers 300. In some second instances the second sleeve ends 106 may abut one another. In some third instances the second sleeve ends 106 may overlap. In the second and third instances, it is expected that each sleeve 102 of each cover 300 will likely be provided with a tail opening 118. The selectively separable tail openings 118 allow the tail-tethers 112 of each sleeve 102 to be interlaced with the rope 400 in a direction toward the opposite sleeve 102. When each tail opening 118 is closed, each respective sleeve 102 will at least partially surround the tail-tethers 112 (if any) attached to the opposite sleeve.

In yet another alternative (not drawn) to fully protecting a rope 400 with dual eyes, a combination cover 300 may be provided on each end of the rope 400 and a separate first cover 100 may be disposed between the combination covers 300.

In view of the preceding description, the tethered covers 100, 200, 300 should be understood to be configurable for a variety of industry specific applications, covering ropes with a variety of configurations. In other words, the tethered covers 100, 200, 300 are modular and customizable to customer specification. At the same time, each embodiment provides excellent exterior protection, including customized protection of hand spliced high performance rope assemblies.

Although the above disclosure has been presented in the context of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

I claim:
 1. A protective cover for a rope, comprising: a) a fabric sleeve having a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end; and b) one or more tethers attached proximate to and extending from at least one of the sleeve ends, the one or more tethers of such length, of such number, and so configured as to interlace with the rope for collectively maintaining a position of the cover along the rope when the rope is under tension.
 2. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises: at least one of the one or more tethers attached to the sleeve proximate to each of the sleeve ends.
 3. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is separable along at least a portion of the length thereof.
 4. The protective cover according to claim 1, further comprising; a partial fabric loop having a first loop end and a second loop end, each loop end attached to the sleeve proximate to the first sleeve end.
 5. The protective cover according to claim 4, wherein the loop is separable along the length of the loop.
 6. The protective cover according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more tethers is attached to the sleeve proximate to the first sleeve end.
 7. The protective cover according to claim 4, wherein one or more tethers is also attached to the loop proximate to each of the loop ends and configured to extend toward the sleeve for being interlaced with a portion of the rope encircled by the sleeve.
 8. The protective cover according to claim 4, wherein the cover further comprises a second partial loop attached to the second sleeve end.
 9. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more tethers is at least one full fid in length, where the rope diameter is determined at the thinnest portion thereof.
 10. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises an abrasion resistant fabric selected from the group consisting of high molecular weight polyethylene, high molecular weight aramid, nylon, or ballistic nylon.
 11. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is tapered, wherein a diameter of the sleeve at the first sleeve end is different than a diameter of the sleeve in a direction toward the second sleeve end.
 12. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is the shape of a partial loop configured for protecting an eye portion formed at the end of the rope.
 13. A rope assembly for lifting, hauling, winching, towing, or rigging heavy loads under harsh conditions, the assembly comprising: a rope comprising a plurality of braided, twisted, or linked components; and a protective cover encircling at least a portion of the rope, the cover comprising: a) a fabric sleeve having a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end; and b) one or more tethers attached to and extending from proximate at least one of the sleeve ends, the one or more tethers interlaced with the components of the rope to collectively maintain the position of the cover along the rope when the rope is under tension.
 14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cover further comprises: at least one of the one or more tethers attached to the sleeve proximate to each of the sleeve ends and interlaced with the components of the rope.
 15. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the sleeve is separable along at least a portion of the length thereof.
 16. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the rope further comprises: an eye formed by at least one end of the rope, resulting in the rope having an eye portion, a splice portion and a tail portion; and wherein the cover further comprises: a partial fabric loop having a first loop end and a second loop end, each loop end attached to the sleeve proximate to the first sleeve end, the loop at least partially closed around the eye portion of the rope.
 17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the loop is separable along the length of the loop to allow removal of the eye portion.
 18. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more tethers is attached to the sleeve at a connection point proximate to the first sleeve end, said at least one tether extends from the connection point, through the eye portion of the rope and is interlaced along the splice portion of the rope in a direction toward the second sleeve end.
 19. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein one or more tethers is also attached to the loop proximate to each of the loop ends, said tethers attached proximate to the loop ends extending into the sleeve and being interlaced with the splice portion of the rope, the splice portion being encircled by the sleeve.
 20. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the sleeve at least partially surrounds the splice portion and the tail portion of the rope, the diameter of the sleeve being tapered to conform with the rope.
 21. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the rope further comprises: an eye formed at each end thereof; and the protective cover comprises a pair of protective covers, each cover comprising: a) a sleeve having a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end; b) a partial loop having a first loop end and a second loop end, each loop end attached to the sleeve proximate to the first sleeve end, the loop at least partially closed around a respective eye of the rope; and c) the one or more tethers comprising: i) at least one first tether attached to the sleeve at a first connection point proximate to the first sleeve end, the at least one first tether extending from the connection point, through the respective eye of the rope and being interlaced along the rope in a direction toward the second sleeve end; ii) at least one second sleeve tether attached to the sleeve proximate to the second sleeve end and interlaced with the rope in a direction away from the first sleeve end; and iii) at least one third tether attached to the loop proximate to each of the loop ends, the third tethers extending into the sleeve and being interlaced with a portion of the rope encircled by the sleeve.
 22. The assembly according to claim 21, wherein the second sleeve ends of each protective cover abuts or overlaps one another.
 23. The assembly according to claim 22, wherein the at least one second tether of each protective cover extending into the sleeve of the other protective cover.
 24. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the rope further comprises: an eye formed by each end of the rope, resulting in the rope having a pair of eye portions, a pair of splice portions and a tail portion between the splice portions; and wherein the cover further comprises: a pair of partial loops, each partial loop having a first loop end and a second loop end, each partial loop attached to a respective sleeve end and at least partially closed around a respective eye portion of the rope; and at least one of the one or more tethers attached to the sleeve at a connection point proximate to each sleeve end, each at least one tether extending from the respective connection point, through the respective eye portion of the rope and being interlaced along the respective splice portion of the rope in a direction toward an opposite sleeve end.
 25. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein each tether is interlaced with the rope based on the ratio: under two strands:over one strand.
 26. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the components are formed from a synthetic material selected from the group consisting of high molecular weight polyethylene, aramid, nylon, or ballistic nylon.
 27. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the elongated sleeve is shaped as a partial loop for protection of an eye portion formed at the end of the rope. 